WASHINGTON — After a rare and dramatic public hearing, a special House Ethics subcommittee on Friday found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., guilty of 25 ethics charges, capping a three-year investigation into allegations she stole millions in federal relief funds and funneled some of that to her congressional campaign.
The secret vote came after Cherfilus-McCormick and her attorney sat for a nearly seven-hour televised House trial, after which lawmakers on the panel deliberated overnight for hours before reaching their decision.
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty in a separate but related federal criminal case.
“I look forward to proving my innocence,” the congresswoman said in a statement. “Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida’s 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them.”
The decision likely sets the stage for Cherfilus-McCormick’s ouster from Congress. Even before the trial, GOP Rep. Greg
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